PETERBOROUGH, October 21, 2010: In the past, nursing was a good career choice because it offered professional wages and benefits, but that picture is changing rapidly. Full-time nursing jobs are being cut across Canada as governments attempt to make up for lost revenue due to corporate tax cuts. As part of that trend, in Peterborough, 153 nurses have been cut from the local hospital.

The is deeply concerned about the latest round of registered nursing cuts at Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

"The plan released by the hospital called for 170 staff cuts in total," notes Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) Vice-President Vicki McKenna, a registered nurse. "But to date, almost all of the positions cut have been front-line registered nurses. The hospital laid off or eliminated 12 full-time and two part-time RN positions yesterday, and in total the community has lost more than 200,000 hours of skilled RN care per year."

Rns are the front line of health care. Studies have repeatedly shown that cutting Rns out of the system results in higher rates of complications; as well, studies demonstrated higher death rates for patients. ONA has been advocating for an end to RN cuts as the province is already grappling with a severe shortage of these skilled and knowledgeable professionals.

"Balancing hospital budgets by cutting the expertise of Rns out of the system is short-sighted and detrimental to our patients' health outcomes," says McKenna. "Yet throughout the province, we've seen more than 2,400 RN positions cut. Peterborough has been particularly hard hit, and we are alarmed at the large number of patient care hours that this community is losing."